Transportation officials today released a report that highlights the safety benefits of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications tech, and asked the public to submit their thoughts on how the Department of Transportation should regulate it.

The report, from the DOT's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), found that V2V tech like left-turn assist and intersection movement assist could stop up to 592,000 crashes per year, saving more than 1,000 lives.

Left-turn assist would warn users not to make that left turn in front of an oncoming vehicle, while intersection movement tech would warn drivers that they are likely to have an accident if they proceed through an intersection.

"Additional applications could also help drivers avoid imminent danger through forward collision, blind spot, do not pass, and stop light/stop sign warnings," the NHTSA said.

The agency intends to release formal V2V safety standards in 2016, but wants the public's input on a variety of topics. Is the DOT focusing on the right type of crashes that could be prevented by V2V tech? Does the agency's data seem accurate? Does anyone want to outfit their fleet with V2V tech to test it out? How should the DOT pick those who will test it?

The DOT started testing V2V technology on more than 3,000 vehicles in Aug. 2012 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Specifically, the NHTSA was testing "interoperability of V2V technology among products from different vehicle manufacturers and suppliers and has demonstrated that they work in real-world environments."

By Feb. 2014, the agency announced that it would soon finalize its data and publish a report on V2V tech, as well as craft a regulatory proposal that would require V2V devices in new vehicles sometime in the future.

About the Author

Before joining PCMag.com, Chloe covered financial IT for Incisive Media in NYC and technology policy for The National Journal's Technology Daily in Washington, DC. She has held internships at NBC's Meet the Press, washingtonpost.com, the Tate Gallery press office in London, Roll Call, and Congressional Quarterly. She graduated with a bachelor's deg... See Full Bio

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